From inside the Arab family: What literacy practices occur when raising bilingual and biliterate children?

Living in the United States creates unique challenges in biliteracy and bilingualism for the Arab family. While extant literature provides insight into the literacy interactions and experiences of families from many other cultures now living in the U.S. , there is next to nothing regarding the Arab family literacy experience. Thus, knowledge about the literacy activities Arab families engage in as they gain access to and knowledge of a new culture and language is important. The purpose of this study was to investigate and describe the literacy practices of the Arab families raising bilingual and biliterate children in the U.S. This study , using methodology based on ethnographic approaches, investigated the literacy events, behaviors and interactions which occurred within one Arab family over a 16-week period. A second group of participants were 5 other Arab families living in the U.S. Data sources included video and audio recordings, field notes, observations, journals, informal interviews, and artifacts of children's literacy. The researcher and the participants engaged as co-participants in the research. Findings showed that driving factors behind home literacy practices were religious beliefs and the imminence of return to the home country. Arab mothers were found to yield a heavy influence on the pursuit of literacy, as well as the consistency of literacy learning events in the home. Findings should contribute to helping parents of children with different cultural backgrounds and languages provide the most effective types of support in the home instruction to develop fluency in both the new and the primary language. Information gathered would also help teachers bring together these children with their peers and the subject matter to create a positive synergy wherein all learners can be successful.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of North Texas

Year dc:date

2004

Author dc:creator

• Alshaboul, Yousef Mohammad

Contributors dc:contributor

• Leavell, Alexandra
• Chelliah, Shobhana Lakshmi
• Allen, Diane D.
• White, Nora L.

• Arabs -- United States.
• Bilingualism -- United States.
• Arab families
• religious beliefs
• literacy
• cultural identity
• bilingual children

Statement dc:rights

• Public
• Copyright
• Alshaboul, Yousef Mohammad
• Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

oclc: 58426300
https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4722/
ark: ark:/67531/metadc4722

OAI identifier oai:identifier

info:ark/67531/metadc4722